1. Field of the Invention. The invention relates to a connector and to an assembling method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-32506 discloses a connector with a male housing having a receptacle and a female housing that can fit into the receptacle. A detector is mounted in the female housing and is movable between an initial position and a detection position. A lock protrusion is provided on the inner surface of the receptacle. The female housing includes a deflectable lock arm and the lock arm is provided with a lock projection and two couplings that extend back from both sides of the lock projection. The lock arm has a lock hole between the lock projection and the couplings. The front surface of the lock hole (also rear surface of the lock projection) is formed as a lock surface. Further, a resilient arm projects from the detecting member and a protrusion is provided on a tip part of the resilient arm.
When the detector is at the initial position, the protrusion is inserted into the lock hole from below and locked by the lock surface. Thus, a movement of the detector to the detection position is regulated. Further, when the two housings are connected properly, the lock protrusion is inserted into the lock hole from above (side opposite to the deflection space) and is locked by the lock surface so that the two housings are held in a state where separation is regulated and the protrusion pressed by the lock protrusion is released from locking by the lock surface and retracted into the deflection space to permit a movement of the detector to the detection position. Thus, it can be known that the two housings have been connected properly when the movement of the detector to the detection position is enabled.
There have been cases where the lock arm hangs down from a normal position and the deflection space for the lock arm becomes narrower than normal due to deterioration over time, distortion during molding or the like. Then, the lock surface also is lowered by the hanging-down of the lock arm. Thus, even if the protrusion is pushed down by the lock protrusion when the two housings are connected properly, the protrusion cannot be separated sufficiently from the lock surface, the detector may interfere with the lock surface or the lower surface of the lock arm while moving toward the detection position and an operation of moving the detector to the detection position may be regulated.
The invention was completed based on the above situation and aims detection position.